On May 13, the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) jointly held a high-level Rule of Law Seminar on advancing the participation of young women in politics across the Commonwealth.
The seminar brought together parliamentarians, experts and emerging young women leaders to address the structural and cultural barriers that hinder young women’s political participation, authority and influence. The dialogue particularly regarded local governments and youth governance spaces as key actors in tackling these challenges.
CLGF was represented by Ms Janine Xavier-Cross, Networks Manager responsible for the Commonwealth Women in Local Government Network (ComWLG) and Commonwealth Sustainable Cities Network (CSCN).
A central takeaway from the seminar was a powerful conceptual shift: the focus must move beyond simply getting women “in the room” to ensuring genuine decision-making power, leadership roles, and the ability to shape key policies and budgets.
Women aged 30 and under make up only 1.2% of parliamentarians globally, while women under 40 account for only 6.9%. This points to a significant gap in political leadership pipelines and reinforces the need for stronger support for younger women at all levels of governance.
As barriers to women’s political participation are deeply structural, panelists called for comprehensive institutional reforms to create safer, more inclusive and gender-responsive governance environments. Progressive and practical steps include
Family-friendly procedures, childcare and maternity provisions
Gender sensitive institutional frameworks, access to finance, mentorship and sponsorship
Stronger protections against harassment, political violence and online abuse.
The seminar strongly emphasised the importance of local governments and youth governance platforms – including youth councils, municipal committees and local authorities, as meaningful entry points for young women into leadership. These spaces can help build confidence, develop leadership skills, and connect young leaders directly with practical decisions on policy-making, service delivery and budgeting.
This also reinforces the importance of CLGF’s ongoing work through the ComWLG, which supports women’s leadership and representation in local government, and the CSCN that promotes inclusive, sustainable and participatory approaches to urban governance.
In light of the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2026 and the Commonwealth Women's Forum, CLGF identifies concrete opportunities to accelerate local government’s position as a critical space for women and youth leadership across the Commonwealth, and to strengthen multilevel governance approaches that connect local, national and Commonwealth-level action.
Potential areas for future initiatives are:
Encouraging stronger links between local government, national parliaments, ministries responsible for local government, and Commonwealth institutions
Strengthening young women’s leadership pipelines through local government
Promoting youth participation in municipal planning, budgeting and decision-making
Developing guidance for safer and more gender-responsive local political environments
Supporting mentorship and sponsorship between experienced women leaders and emerging young leaders
Supporting digital safety and anti-harassment measures for women in public life.
Furthermore, the intersection of the CPA’s parliamentary focus and CLGF’s local governance mandate also presents clear opportunities for the two organisations to advance a multilevel governance approach. By bridging national parliamentary frameworks with local government structures and realities, Commonwealth partners can help build cohesive, practical and supportive leadership pathways for women and next generation leaders.
Read the full briefing note of the seminar here.
Photo credit: © Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 2026
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